Florida briefs: Sinkhole grows; flood zones expand

LAND O'LAKES (AP) — Officials said Saturday a sinkhole that swallowed two homes last month is growing.

Pasco County officials during a news conference that a large chunk of the hole's edge has collapsed. Two more homes in Land O'Lakes, a Tampa suburb, have been condemned.

The sinkhole, which opened up July 14, is now about 260 feet wide at its widest point. Officials aren't sure what caused the destabilization but think seismic vibrations from trucks and construction equipment around the hole could be to blame.

Dump trucks were scheduled to bring in boulders Saturday to try to stabilize one side of the sinkhole so a small barge can be brought in. Authorities hope to create a boat ramp so they can work from the barge, which will float on water in the sinkhole.

However, Kevin Guthrie, assistant county administrator of public safety in Pasco, said widening was expected with increased activity and there's no reason to believe the hole is active.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that resuming sinkhole cleanup, contractors have begun dumping truckloads of crushed limestone and boulders into the hole to stabilize one side. On Sunday, workers will push a small platform barge equipped with an excavator into the void to begin removing debris from the middle.

Guthrie said when cleaning the sinkhole, the top priority is to be deliberate and methodical to ensure no one gets hurt.

"If we have to slow down, we slow down," he said. "Speed is not of the essence here."

Guthrie said the cleanup will take two to three weeks barring any more problems with the hole's edges.

Thousands of Florida County properties now in high-risk flood zones

WEST PALM BEACH (AP) — Thousands of property owners in one Florida County will be in newly created flood hazard zones later this year, and that means they'll be required to buy flood insurance for the first time.

Up to 50,839 properties will be newly designated in high-risk flood zones when the maps become official in two months, according to figures compiled by the county. Many homeowners in those zones who have federally backed mortgages will be required to buy flood insurance.

Many properties weren't developed when the county's current flood map was created in 1989, so they didn't have flood-risk classification and owners didn't have to buy insurance.

Report: MTV star under suspicion of shooting hammerhead

BRADENTON (AP) — Florida wildlife officials are investigating a video that appears to show an MTV reality star shooting a hammerhead shark off the side of a boat.

The Bradenton Herald reports the video has been widely shared on social media and comes close on the heels of a separate viral video showing a shark being dragged.

The newspaper says the man shooting the shark appears to be Alex Kompothecras of MTV's "Siesta Key." He was pictured previously wearing the same red "Make America Great Again" hat and clothes while posing with a dead hammerhead on the network's Facebook page.

Kompothecras apologized and deleted a video of a shark being shot from his social media accounts, telling People magazine he "would not make those decisions again."

City officials say the recent heavy rains have pushed the snakes out of their natural habitats. Residents in Miramar and Pembroke Pines have taken to social media sites to share their experiences, posting snapshots of snakes and seeking help in identifying them as either venomous or non-venomous.

Nelson Giraldo said his backyard has been taken over by poisonous cottonmouth snakes. He's found the venomous reptiles hiding under his grill, behind his air-conditioning unit and near his banana tree. He's killed three in the past few weeks. Another resident said at least a half-dozen snakes started following him on a canoe ride in the canal near his home.

The regional venom unit has responded to calls once every four days in June and July, much higher than in previous years.

Former FSU track athlete sentenced to more than 6 years

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — A former track and field athlete in Florida is going to spend more than six years in prison after she was convicted of using stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns.

The U.S. Attorney's office said that the 28-year-old Teona Rodgers was sentenced Friday and ordered to pay more than $151,000 in restitution.

Rodgers was on a track and field scholarship at Florida State University when she took part in a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns for 2011 and 2012 by using other people's personal information.

Authorities said they discovered the scheme in 2013 when notebooks and debit cards in other people's names were found in an apartment she had vacated. The personal information was used to file 64 fraudulent returns seeking nearly $466,000 in refunds.

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